Dr. Donovan Livingston, award-winning educator, spoken word poet, and public speaker, has spent his career in education bridging the gap between his artistic sensibility and commitment to college access, and social justice.
“A lot of my work is grounded in how Hip Hop informs student experiences in college,” Livingston said.
Before attending the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill for undergrad, the Fayetteville, North Carolina, native had a budding interest in Hip Hop and spoken word but needed an outlet for it. After attending a campus visit, Livingston saw a performance from the UNC spoken word and poetry troop and knew he wanted to be a Tar Heel. 
Dr. Donovan Livingston
Earlier this year, Livingston returned to his alma mater as the director of College Thriving. In this role, he oversees the new university-wide general education requirement course that introduces first-year students to the institution. He is also a teaching assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ music department, intentionally merging his Hip Hop self with his college advisor self.
“When I was here as a student, there was a structure for student-led organizations or student-run opportunities for the development of my Hip Hop identity and spoken word identity, but there wasn't really that curricular environment,” he said. “I couldn't take a class on Hip Hop culture, but that all exists now, thanks to some great work from folks in the music department.”
Using his experiences, Livingston hopes to support his alma mater in putting Hip Hop on the main stage while simultaneously creating more meaningful opportunities for students to feel connected to campus as a whole.
Livingston studied history as an undergraduate and volunteered frequently in Durham and Chapel Hill, which introduced him to the world of college advising and supporting first-generation college students. He would eventually continue this work with organizations like the College Advising Corps and the Upward Bound Program.
